Music in Los Angeles and the Hotbed of Talent: Birthday Weekend

Birthday Weekend

by Armando Ortiz

My extended birthday weekend began a few days before Spring Break, soon after completing my last final at Cal State L.A. Once that was done my brain shut down and all I wanted to do was relax. A day before my actual birthday began, and during the self induced brain coma of not learning theories and ways of teaching, and with a somewhat rested body that had had two days of longer sleep and endless hours of downloading music, a pre-celebration took place. The day before the big birthday a friend, Tom, would be performing at the Hard Rock Café in Hollywood with Rivet, a local hard rock band, with whom he plays bass.

My friend Tom on the bass.

I arrived early to find a spot to sit, but inside the place was packed with people of all kinds eating burgers and other greasy foods. The shatter and murmur of the people was a mixture of English and other languages that I did not have the time to decipher  There was a pit where most of the family tables were located and where the majority of people sat and that's where I stood for a while searching for my friends. I began texting Tom but there was no reply, so I kept walking around the venue until I found his wife, Semmy, at a distance. I approached, announcing my presence and she took me to the green room where Tom and the band were getting ready and chatting it up with the other bands that were competing in the Battle of the Bands, which included Lookin' For Trouble, Take 48 and Kid Gramophone.

Rivet

After a few minutes of being introduced to the other members I ordered a Hard Rock burger, a Cesar salad and a glass of water. It might have been one of the best burgers I’ve had in a while, though it wasn’t able to replace the tasty Tommy’s Burgers' sloppy tastiness  In the middle of the meal Rivet went on stage and began blasting away with their hard sonic rock sounds. Their style resembles a slower version of Queen’s of the Stone Age with a bit of an edge to the lyrics. I left the burger half way and went out to the pit where a mass of people was gathering and swaying to the live music. As everyone stood watching them perform energy began to fill the entire room, these guys were in the pocket and were getting the crowd into their music. Their set ended and everyone cheered them on applauding the four song performance. Returning to the green room greetings and congratulations, along with handshakes were given and the burger that was left on the table was finally finished. All there was left were specks of fries and smears of ketchup. I'd requested to go in late to work that night, and once all formalities were done I took La Brea Ave south to LAX. The drive was about thirty minutes, and from the hilly slopes of Hollywood one could see the grey fog at a distance, but once driving past Jefferson and driving through the oil fields that divide Los Angeles from Inglewood, the watery clouds were beginning to settle. This is one of the few spots in LA that while driving makes you wonder how it must have been driving these areas fifty years ago, when there was more nature and less people. The incandescent street lights gave a light orange glow that perfectly blended into the natural and man-made Los Angeles landscape. The drive to work was smooth and easy matching well with the music that was coming out of the speakers of the car- Lil Keke's Addicted 2 Fame.

            The next day was the birthday celebration which was a bit subdued due to extenuating circumstances that made me want to relax more than go out and party. After completing a tutoring session with my student at the Chinatown Service Center a bee line to the LA Bakery was made, where I bought a delicious chocolate mousse cake. I was going to go home to eat cake with coffee, and relax, maybe watch a netflix film. Nonetheless, after relentless calls and questioning from a friend I decided to go check out a local band called Buyepongo. 

Honduras Kitchen flyer:
Punta Cartel

            I took the 10 Freeway east, and exited Alameda, making a turn at the stop light and then drove to the place, but missed my destination by a few blocks. Driving around the mean streets of South Central was a reality that had to be lived out at that very moment. I finally got to the venue, Honduras Kitchen, at around ten thirty in the evening, which is located on Santa Fe and Slauson. It was my first time there and the parking space in the locale was packed, so the security guard suggested parking the car across the street from where the place was. I contacted my friends, who were inside their car, too scared to go out and blend with the environment. Entrance was simple with a cover charge of ten dollars. Once inside we were told to go to the table that was nearest to the band that was performing at that moment, Cumbia Cartel, who is made up of musicians that are from different parts of the Caribbean and Central America. The performance they put down was good, and one of the guys even had a set of instruments made of turtle shells. Their combination of West African beats with their mixture of accordion like synthesizer at times made for a very enjoyable rhythmic ride. I was transported to a beach, where I drank cold coronas, enjoying the punta/cumbia beats that were emanating from the instruments of those unknown musicians.

Buyepongo

Once their set was done DJ Subsuelo began his hour long set, which started out good, but ended up turning into an odd mix of cumbia and house, which was made a bit hectic with the house sound systems which was out of whack. Finally, Buyepongo began their set. They do not need all that sound system stuff to get their groove on because once they start playing the dancing begins and things get off fast with people beginning to move to their groove. The venue was ideal for a band like theirs because the need to connect a lot of electrical and sound devices is not necessary. What especially stands out from this particular band is how well they sound as a whole unit, and the fact that they play a variety of instruments makes them one of the more versatile and original bands in the Los Angeles area. They have soul, grove, estilo, and some firme sounds that will make anyone get up and dance. My good friend Ismael, though, who is more of an observer and an analyzer of people decided to stay in his seat, next to his wife. I went up to the dance floor and asked a lady to dance, who moved like a snake, and swaying like a Heron. She would quicken her pace with her youthfulness, and moved as if her feet were touching fire, with a seasoning of ritualistic fire dancing, I was humbled but was too excited to care because I was in the pocket. There is a sense of satisfaction that comes when thinking of the choice that was made for that day because Buye always puts on bad ass shows, and the fact that beautiful women show up and are down to dancing with anyone is one big incentive to show up and shake one’s skeleton.

House Lounge flyer featuring
all the bands.

            Saturday evening had me at the edge of Maywood. To continue my celebration and for entertainment purposes my friends invited me to dance some Spanish rock at the House Lounge, which changes their name to El Ritual on Saturdays. To my amazement there was a huge Ska concert in the back of the venue, which everyone that entered the club had access too. The bands there were getting down and a giant mosh pit had been made by a giant human circle that moved clockwise. The scene was a bit intimidating, seeing people in their twenties with beer bottles, and Pendleton shirts buttoned up while others wore wife beater shirts made you think twice of where you stepped, but I walked around and found a sweet spot where I could watch the show without being bothered by some crazy mosher that might suddenly push you. I climbed on a platform that was beside a wall and from there watched The South Central Skankers, Matamoska, and Roncovacoco put on a show that was a mixture of punk and symphonic banda trumpeteering that included about two saxophones and one trombone. I went back inside and bought a beer and there found my friend swaying to music from Heroes Del Silencio. Though the mosh pit was big and lots of people would join the pushing and the bumping nothing serious happened. I ended my night by driving west on Washington Blvd to where I live.

Good Micheladas

Flyer for the nigh's event.

            My weekend ended with meeting up with a good friend at Eastside Luv located in Boyle Heights where there was yet another live performance, but this time it was a lady’s show with women that were not only beautiful but very talented. There was a lady whose name I never got who was busting out some amazing mariachi songs, and was being backed up by a female band that played the fiddle, the guitar and a guitar bass. Eastside Luv has one of the best micheladas that I have had anywhere in Los Angeles. The show, which was a 5 dollar cover charge, was really good and made the drive east well worth it. I even got to see Marisoul who makes up part of the La Santa Cecilia, a very talented band that has been touring the southwest for a good minute. My birthday weekend ended, and I had to finally wake up from the brain haze and readjust to the new quarter and picking up from where I left off. 

Me

Laurie Lipton: Artist in Los Angeles

Lauire Lipton, Los Angeles Exhibit

by Armando Ortiz

            A few days ago I visited the Laurie Lipton exhibit being held at the ACE gallery in Los Angeles which is on Wilshire Blvd a few blocks west of La Brea. After decades of living abroad the artist decided to return to the states and make Los Angeles her home. The current exhibit she has on display is superb. Her style and the medium she uses are at the height of any master artist’s abilities. The space where her exhibit is being held is huge, and at times it left like it was an extension of the LACMA.

Her images are amazing and she certainly took a lot of time making the intricate designs come to life. The quality of her work shines through all the bleak subject matter. It shows what American contemporary society and western culture is and brings up questions as to what our realities ought to be. She showcases the daily grind of life, of money making, survival, and the machine that is churning away at our being. Our soul, and death, in this case, time and consumerism, is the all-consuming knitter of reality. Like Goya’s Saturn Devouring His Son that eats all there is, her images also unveil the grotesque that exists in our daily life. Her current exhibit is a critical take on capitalism and modernity with the age old subject of death.

            Quality aside, her take on city life and that of Los Angeles is quite superficial. If what best describes Los Angeles is fake and superficial and one’s existence in Los Angeles correlates with her personal vision then ones reality is truly sad. Nonetheless, that is what her work portrays, a superficial take on the anxieties of a few people in this city. The majority of the people living here hardly have the problem of dressing up in the morning and walking their dog along well-manicured lawns. And though many might be slowly murdering themselves to death by the many plastic surgeries they have and the daily grind that takes place, it does not represent the majority’s experience. She presents something that is and at the same time isn’t, because in reality the death that takes place is usually unknown and her work seems to muffle that reality even more.

            Her topics though they reveal the prevailing anxiety of life in the city are rather bland because there exist death and there exist Death. Death is what everyone has to face and has to come to grips with. On a daily basis there is exploitation in this city, and on a daily basis a type of violence takes place and these are things she refuses to touch on. Her preoccupation with death as the horror at the end of the tunnel and how it ultimately is above time comes through her work. The skulls that emerge from her mind and onto the paper are great, but it’s a reality everyone has to face. Death is a whole different matter when one considers the exploitation of illegal workers, the risk that sex workers face, the violence that gangsters and thugs exercise on their enemies and the random unknown victims that never make it on to the local news. It’s as if she herself is consumed with the idea of consumerism, media and modernity while refusing to touch on justice, love and life.

            She’s a great artist, no doubt about that, but there is something missing. She uses graphite/ pencil to render amazing images that reveals the worst of modern society. The mechanizations behind what we perceive to be reality seems to control the reality that we are experiencing, which at this time of year with the presidential election looming just over the horizon and the media frenzy surrounding really shows that politics are about- image over substance, and showcases our anxieties of our waking life. Yet, where is life in all of this, and what about the other reality? Aside from the “office workers” waking up in the mornings and having their cereal, and the “house wives” walking the isles there are people who are working their tail off and yet are managing to live a life that is worth living. Out of the 24 hours of time that we have in a day only eight are dedicated to work, and another eight are dedicated to sleep and in between all that there is time to spend on hobbies, time with family, listen to music or go to the beach. Her work makes it seem as if everyone in the city lives to work and does not work to live.

            The horror that she experiences in her daily life are not what kids living in the poor neighborhoods experience. Theirs is a more raw reality of what city life is all about, and consumerism, the media, plastic surgeries, white collar office work, and wealth are not a part of their reality. Living in the midst of drug dealers, trannies walking down streets, amongst the general violence and poverty that they experience is a reality that they deal with and yet continue to push through in their life. It makes one wonder if Laurie is living in Los Angeles, the city, or the Los Angeles that is made up of hills, Hollywood stars and lofty lofts that are more like fortresses, because she only reveals a partial slice of a city that is far more complex than she creates on paper. But I am sure that this is not the case, because despite of what she has experienced in this city, she probably has favorite music that she listens to, enjoys a walk by the beach, and finds pleasure being with close friends.

            Nonetheless, there is more to her art, and maybe what isn’t spoken is her ultimate goal. Some of her pieces are very Gustave Dore-esque like her presentation of The Consumption, where a shopper is faced with an endless row of items to purchase. Her skulls are life like, and her images come alive through our own anxieties with death. I certainly work eight hours job, but I also go to school, read books, listen to music, dance, enjoy nature and have moments of bliss. And these things are lacking in her work. It’s as if the grotesque is presented in all its glory, but the missing piece to what truly is real has to be there because there are those that don’t go with the waves that society conjures and certainly do not experience a life the way she makes it out to be.

            

Aaron Coleman:Tattooer/Artist

Aaron Coleman: Tattooer/Artist

by Armando Ortiz

                I met Aaron a few years back while I was going around selling art books. It was in Phoenix, Arizona where I began to hear from other tattooers in that city that I needed to go to Immaculate Tattoo and meet Aaron. In my mind I figured that it must have been the place to go if you wanted to get some really good custom work done, I mean, if other shops were referring me to that shop then there must have been something there in the first place worthy of other’s respect and referral. I got to meet Aaron on my last day in Phoenix, and he did buy some books. After that I got to see his work on other people and after a couple of years of traveling and meeting many tattooers I became aware of the respect that he has garnered all across the country. When you meet Aaron, he does not seem like a guy that is highly respected in the industry that he is a part of. He comes across as a nondescript guy that really likes drawing and enjoys rock music. He's been tattooing for almost two decades and has been drawing and painting all his life. When you talk to him you really don’t know that you are talking to one of the more accomplished artists in the tattooing community.

                His work is prolific and his output is outstanding. He has self-published numerous art books, or what tattooers call flashbooks, and seems to have a never ending flow of ideas and drawings. He’s been an inspiration to many people, and a challenge to many others. His work speaks for itself and with his modesty it seems that he will only keep on getting better and more work will be coming out from him in the near future.

                The idea of the interview came about a few months back. I wanted to interview some of the people that I met during my travels and time as an art book seller. There are only a few artists out there that have the work ethic that he does, and even fewer people that have the modesty that he has, so why not show case his work and get to know more about him via a different avenue that isn’t tattoo related. Here is the interview. I hope you guys find it informative and insightful.

-Me: Are you willing to do a mini interview? Mostly about your art and paintings.

-Aaron: Sure, hope yer well. Good to hear from you. If you wanna send me money and books that works. I’m going to Rome in 4 weeks.

-Me: Rome, wow…..cool. When in Rome do as Romans. Let’s start this interview on line. It’s better, clear and to the point. Do you recall your first time drawing or painting?

Pushead

-Aaron: Me and my brother would sit around and draw bicycles and this guy riding a skateboard with his butt hangin out. They all said “ba on em” it stood for bare ass. I think it was t-shirts just a little head sticking out from a guy riding a skateboard. We were maybe 7 or 8.

                When I got into my early teens, around 13, I remember drawing skateboard graphics a lot and re-drawing a lot of the images of the first Suicidal Tendencies album cover.

-Me: Were there any particular artist in that field that got your attention, in terms of their designs? When did you start doing watercolor work?

-Aaron: Early on, I really liked Mad Magazines, skateboard art, Pushead is a stand out and Punk Rock art. Shawn Kerri and of course I always was into comics on some level. Kind of dorky kid, music and art always interested me.

Ralph Snart

-Me: Are there any comics in particular that stand out? In school did you take any art classes or get the attention of other classmates or teachers with your art?

-Aaron: There was a comic called Ralph Snart that I really liked. I was always a huge fan of Mad and Cracked, then when I was 17 years old or so I got heavily into Zap comics and discovered R. Crumb, Robert Williams, S. Clay Wilson, and all the underground stuff which led to guys like R.K. Sloane and Greg Irons and tattoo stuff. It’s all connected.

-Me: Did you ever take any art classes? I have an S. Clay Wilson book and inside there is a nun getting tattooed and above that image it says, “Immaculate Tattoo,” was her referring to your shop? If so, how did you manage to get him to draw that?

S. Clay Wilson's  Checkered Demon

-Aaron: I took some life drawing classes, nothing major. I always loved cartoons and illustration work. I met S. Clay Wilson through Ed Hardy when I was sitting in at Tattoo City. I got to hang with him a couple times at his house. He was really friendly and always tried to get me to smoke pot with him. He was a really nice guy and unfortunately had an accident a few years back and was in a coma for a while. Thankfully he came out of it but I don’t know if his drawing skills have completely returned or if they’ll ever be the same (referring to Wilson’s drawings). I really hope so, because he was hands down my favorite cartoonist.

                He told me some cool stories about him hanging with William S. Burroughs and shooting guns and drinking with Shane Macgowan. Interesting guy, interesting life, interesting style.

-Me: You got to work at Tattoo City? That must have been a great time for you as a tattoo artist. Interesting that you mention S. Macgowan. A few weeks back a local band here in L.A. covered some of their songs. I am not that familiar with Punk Rock or their scenes. I know that in some cities the scene was quite big, how about in Arizona? Was there a big Punk scene while growing up?

Back piece.

-Aaron: Punk Rock was one of the biggest influences while growing up. It shaped a lot of my views at the time, and exposed me to a lot of art, artists, and even to tattooing. I think in a lot of ways it was the last meaningful music movement as far as the first late-70s early-80s wave of it. Punk Rock now isn’t really Punk Rock. I was really fortunate to catch the very tail end of it in the early and mid-80s. I definitively think its part of what influenced me to take the path I did. It definitively introduced me to a lot of the things that I still visually enjoy as well as listen to.

                I’ve always been fortunate enough to work with really talented tattooers. It’s been a really great ride so far and I hope this is just the beginning.

-Me: Tell me a bit more about some of the things about Punk Rock that influenced you besides the art. Can you give some other examples?

-Aaron: I always liked the do it yourself, fuck you, part of it all. Back in the 80s if you saw some other kid wearing a Black Flag shirt you kinda just knew that they were into the same shit. You had a weird connection, shit was a lot rarer and it was kind of like you were superior, like you knew about something that was cool and other people were oblivious to! And most people that were tattooing were like that in the beginning too.  There was a connection and you were aware of something that was great and everybody else was oblivious to. Tattooing was like that in the beginning as well.

-Me: I once saw a poster that you had done at some shop. I am not sure if it was for a show or what but it was pretty cool. How long do pieces that size take to do? Tell me about your comic/cartoon that you once mentioned.

Robert Crumb's Mr. Natural

-Aaron: Not sure what poster. I did a lot of poster art for a little while for a local promoter who was a customer/friend of mine. He paid me well and I got to do some fun stuff, usually he’d ask when I was I was into the bands I did art for, like The Dwarves, TSOL, Hank 3, UK Subs, Jesus I don’t remember, but it was a good thing. Then these other tattooers would see em’ and hit the dude up to do em’ and they’d do em’ just to go to shows for free, and that was the end of that. I got to meet some good people though and I still got a few of em’.

                I always loved comics. Got into the Zap Comics stuff when I was in my teens, and it blew my mind. I wanted to be an adult comic artist, writer, illustrator like Greg Irons or R. Crumb and I loved S. Clay Wilson. Those things blew my mind. I did a comic with a friend of mine, Dave Leamon, who’s a great illustrator out in L.A., he has a website, check it out, but tattooin’ is my true love, once I went down that road everything else got set to the side. I’ve talked with my friend Tim Lehi about doin’ some stuff. Him and Jeff Rassier were doing a comic called Bucks Nort U Want to Do. That kind of thing is just hard for me to allocate the time these days.

-Me: Just for clarification, you wrote that the comic is called “bucks nort u want to do.” I once saw a painting that you made, I think it was yours, where Bush, Osama and Hitler are sorta emerging from the same source. How did you come up with that?

-Aaron: It was a last supper painting that kinda just came about around the time of the whole Osama Bin Laden/Bush was. Same shit different dictators. I guess it’s kinda out dated now.

-Me: How has the economy affected you as an artist? What does art mean to you?

-Aaron: The economy hadn’t really affected me too much, thankfully. Art is how I make my living and hopefully will for a long time.

We have come to the end of the interview. If you are interesting in knowing more about Aaron visit his website at www.immaculatetattoo.com. There you will find shirts, books and some more photos of his work. You can contact him directly at:

1454 W. Main Street, Suite #1,

Mesa Arizona 85201

(480) 668-4940

Huitzil: Zine

I started working on this Zine in late-January. I had to finish it despite the roughness of the art. Nonetheless, here is the finished product. I chose to make hummingbirds the main subject of the Zine for many reasons. All the different instances that people talked about them and conversations I had throughout my travels in the U.S. have culminated in this piece of art. Good day.

Andy Zamora: Artists in Los Angeles

Andy Zamora: Artists of Los Angeles

by Armando Ortiz

The purpose of this interview, and all future interviews, is to showcase and briefly talk to artists that reside in Los Angeles, and how their work was influenced by the city and inspired them to continue on with their interest despite the bad economy. I will focus on their early development as artists to see where they get their inspiration, and who’s motivated them. Most of the people I will interview are regular folk that make a living through their creativity. The artists interviewed are some of the few people that don’t have an eight hour job or have to follow a strict schedule, though that doesn’t mean that life are any easier. They are working artists, local community artists that are trying to perfect their craft, who continue to get inspired by life, and in the process inspire others with their own work. Some of these artists are connected to the community while others prefer to do their work and live their lives like anyone else, without the spotlight, while establishing themselves are reputable and quality artist.

The first artist to be interviewed is Andy Zamora, a tattooer that works at Inkfiendart Tattoo, which is located in Alhambra, CA. I met Andy a few years back through a mutual friend. It was at our friend’s pad that we briefly talked about Jimi Hendrix, art and his future tattoo career. While drinking our beers we heard a mixture of Hendrix, blues and other classic rock jams. In the years since then he’s become a tattooer and continues to develop as an artist. One feature that I’ve always seen from his is his style. What style is that? Well, it’s a blend of psychedelic, death metal and graffiti-esque paintings, along with imagery of skulls and devils. In the last five years he’s honed his craft as a tattooer steadily becoming a well-rounded black and grey artist. I have always liked his psychedelic take on old classic rock paintings and posters, along with his personal interpretation of street life in Los Angeles.

This interview took place over a span of several days through the internet, since we both live in different parts of the city, and we both have different schedules. None the less, you will find that Andy opens up his life and tells us how he evolved from a kid that liked drawing on paper to an artist that is making a living through tattooing and painting.

Me- What’s your first memory of doing art?

What kind of influence has music played in your life, but most importantly in your art?

Andy- My first memory of doing (art was) when I was 3 years old. My dad used to work at a paper company, so he used to bring boxes of white paper, (and) I would sit down for hours drawing with crayon, and my mom would praise everyone. So I kept doing it. As for music, it’s my obsession! Its been my obsession since I was 8 years old, (ever since) when License to Ill came out. I listen to every genre and as long as its heavy on the bass and drums. Hip-hop, Classic Rock, Reggae, Jazz, Corridos, etc., etc…In my art, music has definitively rubbed off, mainly 60’s Psychedelic and Death Metal. I think imagery wise thought two genres (of music) have very appealing imagery to me.  As far as when I’m creating art, playing music helps me release a certain flow. For drawing, Hip-hop or reggae sets a mellow mood, and for painting, Hendrix, Coltrane, and Miles kick of the flow. If I’m feeling lazy, some Cannibal Corpse gets me off my ass!

Me- What were some of your first art projects?

I know you’ve done album covers for some bands, what were these band and when did you start?

Andy- (I) started in high school doing paintings in the auditorium and for background scenery in the (school) plays. Then flyers for punk shows. Soulless was one of the bands I did a logo for and (then a) Grind band called Endless Demise, formerly knows as Terror and Nausea. I did cover art, and will be doing more, for the L.A. Grindcore scene.

Me- How did you end up painting in school and background sceneries for plays?

Andy- My Art teacher recommended me to the Drama director.

Me- How did public school affect your artistic development?

Andy- My Art teacher was very encouraging. He pushed me to try new mediums. I actually looked forward to going to school. One period I was painting murals in the auditorium and another period I was in a small room messing around with airbrush, clay, paint and what not. I think I still would have done art if hadn’t had those classes, but having those classes my art was displayed publicly and it put me in touch with the public, which artist have to do to start networking.

Me- Is that how you met the people whom you went on to do album covers?

Did you ever think that you’d be making a living as an artist?

What mediums are you using these days to express your art?

You mentioned painting mural, are there any muralist that you admired then and now?

Andy- Yeah I worked as a muralist for the Hollywood Beautification Team in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Back then my biggest influences, mural wise, were Paul Botello and George Yepes, and of course graffiti artists like Retna, Mear and FX Crew. Now it’s all about Mac and Retna.

Me- Is that how you met the people whom you went on to do album covers?

Did you ever think that you’d be making a living as an artist?

What mediums are you using these days to express your art?

Were you born in Los Angeles? How does your art reflect life in Los Angeles?

How has the city influenced your art? Do you feel you’ve influenced it?

Andy- One of my good friends <was> the drummer for Soulless, so that’s how I met them. With Endless Demise, I met Victor, the vocalist, online. He liked my tattoo work and was really interested in getting work done. It turns out we knew a lot of the same people and we hit it off, getting high and talking music. I was into the Grind scene in the 90’s, so it was cool being (a) part of it and doing artwork, and yeah since high school I knew that that’s all I wanted to do. I was shooting for comic book artist though, but ended up in a different route. I like using all mediums. I paint with acrylics, draw with pencils, ink and charcoal. One of the funnest medims is mixed media; color pencil, acrylic, watercolor and ink. I was born in Northern California, in San Jose, but my parents moved here, to L.A., when I was 6, so I was raised here in L.A. That’s all I know, L.A. and it definitively has had an influence in my art. It all happened when I had to do four months in the County Jail. The gang imagery stayed with me forever. The gangster letter, the black and grey tattoos etc. etc. There’s no rougher and tougher city in this country than L.A., so when I draw something it has to look hard.

 

Me- Please explain what gives something a “hard look” in art.

Andy- Yeah. It has to look Gangsta or wicked! Even when I was a kid drawing comics I wanted my characters to look tough and crazy. Its art for the fellas I guess. Kinda like hardcore hip hop. It’s mainly for the fellas but I’m pretty sure there’s some girls out there that are down with that. Then I add a little trippy. The psychedelic trips I had when I was young stayed with me forever.

Me- Is there anything that you’d like to say in relation to art, your art work, and what you do these days? Thanks for telling me about your artistic life. I’ll post the interview in a few days.

Andy- The economy is part of the reason I had to switch shops. Tattoos are luxuries, so people are cutting back on those type of things.  I'm working less on projects that were custom and (doing) more walk-in type of stuff. That made me have less enthusiasm and my inspiration was getting lost. It’s like a rollercoaster though in the tattoo scene. It’s bound to go up again.

Feel free to grab any pictures you want from my Facebook folders. Personally I like the Chalino painting, the drawing of a demon that’s holding a skull with fire in the background and the archangel Gabriel tattoo, but grab as many as you want.

Me- You have any photos of when you were in high school and the work you did back then?

Andy- At my parent’s house I should have some things.

Me- Lemme ask you this one last question. Is art important in people’s lives? If it is please explain why art is important.

Andy- To artists its very important. It pays our bills and keeps us out of the Looney Tunes bin….LOL….for non-artists its important because everything is art; clothes, music, architecture. It would be a bland world without art. 


(All art work was done by Andy Zamora, feel free to contact him via facebook)

  

Contemporary Los Angeles Muralists: El Mac and Retna

Contemporary Los Angeles Muralists

by Armando Ortiz

I recall seeing murals when I was a little kid. Anyone born in Los Angeles, at one time or another has to ride inside a car that passes through the 101 and the 110 Freeway intersections. It was there where I saw images of Roman pillars floating in space, and satellites with robotic arms studying space rocks. It was on the walls of these intersections where I saw giant paintings of marathon runners, commemorating the 1984 Olympics, and images of toddlers picking up basketballs and attempting to kick soccer balls, celebrating childhood. It was in these areas where one of the more iconic Los Angeles artist painted his images, Kent Twitchell. As a little kid his murals appeared larger than life, they really were larger than life, and they contained an energy that other images I saw lacked. Under the freeway bridges of Echo Park on could see the enormous faces and hands that he’d painted years ago. Most, if not all the images described, have now disappeared, but there are always other artist picking up the slack creating murals on other walls of Los Angeles.

Growing up in Koreatown, the accessibility of murals was limited. The nearest mural was at the intersection of Olympic Blvd and Western Blvd. It was a gigantic image of a traditional Korean dancer painted by Dong-in Park. I would stare, and get lost in my imagination every time I saw this mural. I never imagined that one day I’d visit South Korea though, but that’s a whole different story. Most of the murals, while growing up in the 80’s were located beyond Alvarado Blvd to the east. I might be wrong, and if someone reads this that knows better can correct me, but it seems that most murals were closer to Downtown Los Angeles. I can recall walking down Broadway and seeing big murals on the sides of buildings. Unfortunately, one grows up and responsibilities along with work seem to overwhelm the senses and makes us forget what we saw as little kids.

Upon my return from living abroad, I began to discover murals that I’d never seen before. The images contained an energy that connected with me, reigniting similar feelings I got as a kid while staring at murals. The first mural I came across is found inside a car wash that’s on Western Blvd a block north of Melrose Ave. Its the image of a giant Buddha in the style that I often saw in South Korea. The painting was amazing. Every time I drove by the image I couldn’t help to think that it looked like an actual sculpture. “Its only a matter of time before people begin to worship the image,” I thought every time I drove past the image. Then to my amazement another mural appeared. On La Brea Ave, a block south of 3rd street a portrait of a woman that seemed to be lost in her dreams appeared. The style of the mural was similar to that of the Buddha image found inside the car-wash. For several months I kept seeing both images and kept trying to drive slow enough to get the artist’s name, but despite writing down the artists names, El Mac and Retna, I was too lazy to stop the car and take photos or simply forgot to look up the artists on the Internet.

One day, as I was about to make a left turn on Hollywood Blvd to get onto Western Blvd another discovery was made. This intrigued me and made me decide to one day go and take photos of their work before thugs vandalized the images. Sadly though, I never made the time to acquire personal images of the murals, but kept uncovering their work in different pockets of Los Angeles. While driving around the city I came discover murals created by these two talented artist on Pico Blvd, Wilton and Hollywood Blvd, La Cienega Blvd between Adams Blvd and Washington Blvd. Even while traveling and visiting other cities I continued to come across their work.

Outside of California, I was lucky to come across their work as well. In Denver, Colorado while driving down one of city’s main avenues I spotted their work on the top of a building. In Salt Lake City, Utah I got to see the magical portrayal of the Virgin Mary in person. In Downtown SLC, few blocks away from the Mormon Temple the image of Mary was beautifully rendered on the wall of a building. The last mural I discovered outside of California by them was while driving to my uncle’s home in Florida. I was leaving Miami Beach, and driving north, when suddenly to my right I saw a giant preternatural image of a man looking up to the heavens. I was impressed and in awe.

About two years ago I got the privilege of shaking hands with both El Mac and Retna. Though I knew that Retna was part Central American I didn’t really get to talk with him, however I did get to talk with El Mac, briefly, and he told me about Caravaggio. I got to tell him that the stuff they were doing was amazing, and that the appreciation murals had made a full circle in my life. I never imagined that the stuff I enjoyed watching as a child was actually being affecting me unconsciously in a such a powerful way. A few months later, I bought a book they put out and have continued to follow their work.

When one looks at the various muralist that have painted the sides of buildings across Los Angeles, one sees that every artist has managed to leave their energy behind. What El Mac and Retna do with their work is along those same lines, but there is something more that is included in their images. The sense of hope or what we call ‘esperanza’ in Spanish is what their collaborative murals contain. Images of people always looking up to the heavens as if in prayer, peering beyond the walls and into an imaginary image across our vision as if in defiance or staring down to the infinite space within the paint and an unknown mirage that’s created are powerful inference to a world beyond reality. It gives the viewer a glimpse into what drives humans to pursue their vocations. Either way, both these artist manage to conjure up emotions within the viewer, and if that can be accomplished then the message of hope can be understood even within the hieroglyphic like script of Retna, and the life like images of El Mac. These two artist have certainly managed to create magic with their art.

Jimi' Hendrix' s Legacy: My Life

Jimi Hendrix's Legacy: My Life

by Armando Ortiz

   A few days ago I downloaded the new Jimi Hendrix out-take and rare tracks box set, West Coast Seattle Boy. The current list of albums I was sampling was set aside and Jimi, once again, took center stage in my life. After listening to all of the tracks and loosing myself in the guitar solos and funky bass beats, I realized that I had spent around 5 hours listening to the box set. That got me thinking about how much I have heard his music throughout the year and how many hours in total I might have spent in my life listening to his music. The peak of this year's "Jimi Experience" was back in August when I visited his memorial, which is located about an hour south from Seattle.

   The signs of his impact on this earth are everywhere, yet sometimes we don't acknowledge the signs. Considering that we are always being inundated with advertisements and commercial jingles that keep us in a state of hypnotic trance, its hard to notice that Hendrix is still out there resonating in this world among people that choose to take the road less traveled. One of my most memorable and deepest subconscious experiences that I had while living in South Korea, back in 2001, was seeing a giant poster of Hendrix every time my friends and I went out to the local bar that was located in Sinchon. Directly opposite to the entrance of the bar, that was located inside a basement, was a poster of him. Every time one walked into that place, one was confronted with the image of Hendrix. As if it was intended to welcome every person into the bar. He was there, the see it all, the prevailing god of the bar where we got drunk, passed out, sneaked a hand down some girl's pants, and even pretended that we were the only cool people there. But Hendrix was always there, reminding us of his presence, he'd been to the promised land and back. I was too young back then to truly appreciate his artistic genius. In fact, I never imagined I'd be taking a side trip to visit his memorial site nine years later.
   Visiting his memorial is one of the more memorable things I did this year, and up to this point in my short lived life. I was greeted by flying purple martins that swooped down and captured the insects that jumped off from the ground. Every step I took, as I walked across the grass, made tiny insects jump up causing the martins to fly low in preparation for their snack. It seemed fitting to see that even purple birds made their home near Jimi's memorial. After circling his memorial and trying to take it all in I realized that I wasn't the only person who'd been touched by his music, but that he had managed to magically resonate in the lives of the other people that were there visiting him.
   While I was there I saw a family from Australia, that had made the side trip. Then I saw a long black limousine pull up and a man that looked like the incarnation of one of the many 80's rock bands stepped out of the limo. He walked up the memorial, and  put up a cardboard sign that read, JIMMY rocks WE MISS YOU. He took a couple of pictures and then hopped into the long car and left. Then big white truck pulled up. A big diesel truck pulling a trailer. The license plates read Alberta, Canada. The door opened and a man that looked like a construction worker stepped out. He reached into his truck and pulled out two dozen white roses. He walked up to the memorial, stopped,  took a deep breath and said, "I can't believe I am actually here!" It made me wonder how special it was to be so close to Jimi, but at the same time how my experience, wasn't as singular as I once thought it to be, and that's the magic of music, literature and art. It touches everyone in some way. The message does transmit and it is absorbed.
  I've spent hours listening to different Hendrix albums, but it wasn't until this year that things finally clicked. His songs like "Room Full of Mirrors," and "1983," had never touched me. Never had I carefully thought through the lyrics. As my first blog post I want to dedicate it to Jimi Hendrix, a man who's music has touched countless of people on this small earth. His message of love and self realization is still felt and will keep being heard for generations to come. Ultimately my goal is to transmit similar energies through this blog. Energies that have tapped into the everlasting flow of time, where the ancient teachers, artist and musicians forever resonate and become one with the earth, time, and the universe.