Q: What are your fond memories of seeing earlier graffiti? A: Seein bitches and ho’s just throw paint around… nah, I’m just goofin. Seriously though, my earliest memories of graf, as I call it, are not of any one train or piece… but a random memory of overall energy. The mystery of all the swooping intertwined lines had me mesmerized for sure. All the intense angles, colors, and tight freeformed lines really made a lasting impact. Something about seeing the power of the written word chopped and stylized riveted me!
Q: Where did your name come from? A: My art name is just a combo of my legal name and exploring my bloodline from Panama. I do at times go by Visual Soul cause writing my long ass Latino name out can be obnoxious at times. How did my Visual Soul name come about? Shit man I dunno, too many drinks and listening to Redman & Method Man on repeat could be to blame. Ha ha. Q: Any funny stories? A: Oh sure. Names are changed to protect the guilty from charges of debauchery. Ha ha, so a while back a friend of mine earned the nickname ‘uncle rusty’ after he passed out face down after a mammoth paint session. And well, us being great friends… we paint rolled his bare azz cheeks with Rustic Red.
Q: How would you describe your style? A: My style is often times described Q: What are your influences? as beautifully disturbing and I have A: Oh man, must go classical right off the equal desire to express myself with cuff, Francisco Goya is by far my favorite thick lines, organic textures, splatters, pure painter. Then there is Gauguin, and and typography. Flat out I am more of course Picasso for his raw ferocity and concerned with the immediacy of visual devastating bravery. I saw Denny Dent communication than I am with the paint live once and that split my wig in exact replication of forms with traditional two, so he is right up there along with volumetric shading techniques. many others. Oh yeah Ralph Steadman is unreal, Ed Sorel, Seymour Chwast, Q: What are your favourite materials? and Keith Haring. I would mention some A: Anything that dries quickly. I’m super modern names, but few things are more impatient at times and my need for repulsive than a male groupie. So I’ll speed dictates what I use and lean keep those to myself. towards. Golden acrylic paint fluids,
paint markers, and of course spray paint. But I‘m much more into brushwork for control than I am into being a street purest. Have really been into screen printing these days. Q: Where do see you art heading? A: Shit if I know. I can tell ya this much though, art is limitless and I am excited by all the modern materials developed from polymers and such. Your question has many facets, as I make a distinction between those that create art and those that consume it. Q: Have you been involved in collaborations or exhibits? A: Does a bear shit in the woods… ha ha ha, hellz yeah I’ve been involved and curated many collabo’s and exhibits. I truly dig the energy level and spontaneity of group collaboration and strive to make one-on-one collaborations occur more and more these days. I am always in exhibits, it is like a drug to me, hooking me in and pushing me to create something that I otherwise would not have. If anyone is interested in seeing some of my collabos, I filmed a few in a time lapse video on my site for posterity.
www.visualsoul.com
VISUAL SOUL
Q: When did you start? A: First really picked up a brush in 1996, that paint chip replication in Color Theory class does not count. So then I messes around for a few years just finding out what and how to paint. Then really dove in full tits in 2003. Ever since then I’ve been hustling trying to develop myself in this art game.