If visual art could be music, 13:11 would be as “heavy metal” as they get. He slams colors on the canvas like ear piercing guitar solos and causes mass visual destruction with his mountainous vocabulary of monsters, demons and more. He screams loud with his live painting and collaborative sessions at galleries and venues all over Southern California. Not afraid to tell hecklers to “f!!!!ck off”, he has always stuck out as an artist with attitude in the live painting circuit where I met him.
Intrigued by his tales of reptilian government leaders and conversations about who kicks butt more (Darth Vader or Yoda), I asked him a few questions.
Nathan Cartwright: How has television and pop culture affected your work in the past?
13:11:Actually, everything I do is Affected by TV, Movies, Comic books, Video games, Graphic trends, and advertising.
Nathan Cartwright: Do Politics and art mix for you?
13:11: They kind of have to…I like good stories and story telling. In the past few years I’ve watched my drawings and paintings transform from fun stuff to look at into fun stuff to hide ideals and ideas. Just like the Political arena where things aren’t always what they seem.
Nathan Cartwright: Tell me about the reptilians.
13:11:The ones who secretly control our planet? OK. They are a super secret group of “shape-shifting aliens” better known in the Bible as the NEPHALIM. Look it up, they are the offspring of fallen angels and human women. The best part is you can’t prove that they DON’T exist. And besides all of that, dinosaurs are just plain fun. I can go on and on about them.
Nathan Cartwright: You have some strong views about products and prints in the gallery setting. Is there a place for products in the gallery space?
13:11:Sure, in the “store” section of a gallery… I’m not a fan of pseudo skilled Photoshop “art” hanging on a wall next to a real hand made painting or sculpture. That’s what I do for a living. I create mass market stuff for consumers. It kind of bums me out to see that stuff in an art gallery.
Nathan Cartwright:You’ve become the “go to guy” for collaborations at The Hive. How has art collaboration affected your work?
13:11: It’s taught me so much…I never got to go to art school so I have to learn from doing. Fortunately for me, many talented people at The Hive have taken me up on my challenges. I try and learn as much as I can from all the collaborations that I’m involved in. And hopefully apply some of it to my regular work. “Kind of like your salad bar… take what you want and leave the rest”.