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The Self Interview (part 1)
In a converted one car garage in the Athens on the hill neighborhood of south central Los Angeles resides one of the sexiest sculptors alive. He is known as the Red Rooster. This feathery fellow started sculpting his life away around the age of 13. An art school drop out who managed to educate himself from art books found and bought at yard sales and swap meets. Late last year someone gave this crazy man the idea of starting a blog and chronicling his downward spiral into the world of sculpture. Here Red Rooster speaks with Juan Balandran, who happens to be his best friend in the whole wide world, about Art, God, and Heartbreak in the underbelly of Los Angeles.
Juan Balandran: What was it like for you growing up?
Red Rooster: Well I grew up in the city of Paramount. My father was a Carpenter and my mother sold used merchandise at the Paramount swap meet. My father was part of the carpenters union so when he was in between jobs he worked with my moms at the swapmeet. It was the family business. So I was basically raised at the swapmeets and in high school all I wore was clothe found and bought at yard sales. Which I didn’t mind because Id always find cool shirts and shit.
JB: Why did you decide to study art?
RR: I always had a thing for drawing. As long as I could remember I always drew and I always wanted to be better than anybody at doing it. So I always was looking for ways to improve my self so studying art came sort of naturally. I also hated working at the swapmeet and I found art more entertaining.
JB: Did your parents encourage you in your artistic endeavors?
RR: Yeah, but like any concerned parent they wanted me to get a real job… that pays…like the swapmeet
JB: what art school did you go to?
RR: I didn’t really go to art school I took a semester and a half at Mt.SAC city collage then I bounced.
JB: why did you drop out?
RR: because man I needed to start making a living. I joined up with a buddy and his dad and did work as a Laborer for a contractor company. It cost my parents to much to send me to school and my ass was just too academically unfit to apply for any grants or scholarships. Plus most of the crap I was being taught in school was all beginners art stuff and I just grew frustrated with it. I sought out to make money on my own and go to some school like academy for the arts or some private school like that.
JB: What artists influenced you?
RR: shit that list can go on for ever. Simon Bisley had a big influence on me growing up as well as Bart Sears and Sam Keith they where my comic art heroes growing up. Bart Sears had a monthly tutorial in Wizard magazine called brutes and babes. I would cut those articles out every month and collect them in a 3 ring binder. As far as sculptors go, The Shifflet brothers where my first big influence followed by Stanislav Szukalski, and Jacques Lipchitz,. Other classical influences include Modigliani, Rodin, Vangogh, Klimt, Schiele, de Lempicka. Instructors like Greg Smith from Mt. SAC and the notorious Glen Villpu also had a big influence on my work.
JB: Do you believe in God?
RR: well, yeah. Although I don’t think he’s quite the dictator the churches make him out to be. Sometimes I sit and wonder if god ever stresses. You know like when Jesus was gone for three days before resurrecting. Do you think god was like,” Boy!! where the fuck where you? You where supposed to come right home after the crucifixion but instead you disappeared for 3 days and not even a phone call, you could have been lying dead in a ditch somewhere, muthafucka I was stressin'. I dont mean to yell , but I care about you boy!"
JB: Do you do drugs?
RR: yeah but nothing heavy, just a little medicinal Methamphetamine and prescription Crack cocaine.
JB: What’s you favorite quote?
RR: “I rebel; therefore we exist.” by Albert Camus. Well actually it’s a three way tie because I also like, "abuelita te guarde la ultima papa mojo!!” By that annoying kid in the Spanish Shakey’s pizza commercial and, “Abstract Art: A product of the untalented, sold by the unprincipled to the utterly bewildered”, also by Albert Camus.
JB: Your favorite beer?
RR: well most people think its Budweiser or Bud lite but the fact is that I only drink that shit when I’m hurtin’ for dough. When someone’s treating I like having a little Hefeweizen or Guinness.
(End of part 1)
