Los Angeles, Nov. 2008: What it was like to feel exhausted from making art and celebrating Obama's victory in my favorite city

On November 4th I left to Los Angeles to complete a print at Self Help Graphics in East Los Angeles. This print was the 6th silkscreen I have done at the 30+ year old, internationally acclaimed, Latino Art printmaking center. As many of you know, Self Help lost their building back in the Summer, and so I was invited to make one of the last prints in their current facility. They will be moving to a new location in 2009, but everyone knows that after they leave, it will never be the same. Perhaps it will be better, perhaps worst, but it will not be the same. The building carries years and years of LA's Chicano art history that cannot be replaced.

So I arrived on Nov 4th a little late because the Oakland airport was understaffed. The day felt magical, you could sense a big tension in the air, but a positive one. I got on the plane knowing that something was about to change. I am not referring to Obama, although, of course he was on my mind - I am referring to the general mood in the air that day. Obama's campaign branded themselves with the word "Change," and in many ways, I think many of us internalize that. That is, change is just not what happens in the land of politics, but also what happens in ourselves, the transitions we go through as humans, in love, in loss, etc. I was feeling open to whatever that change was, and I was feeling extremely excited about going to LA to make art, nothing could make me happier at that moment. The picture you see on the left is how I showed up with my materials. You can see my original piece in the background. The clear film is what it used in making a silkscreen. (click on images to enlarge them)

That evening, I watched Obama speak and I felt proud to be a person of color. I remember getting texts that evening from activists all over the country, talking about our black brother, and that it was a beautiful day for all of us. I remember feeling like I was witnessing a historic moment, and began to think to myself - what can I do in my own life to be happier, to feel like I am accomplishing my purpose in life, which is to succeed as a political artist. What Obama showed me was that people needed to dream and think big. I have always believed that and it has been my own modus operandi, but I usually felt like a fish swimming against a current. That night I felt like the current was about to change. I was feeling High on LIFE. That evening I partied and danced and drank loads of tequila, and spent some great moments with people I love. 

The next few days it was back to work. And work work work it was. One thing that I do when I am at Self Help is that I push myself to my limits. I stay awake until I can't fight it anymore, I try to experiment with my drawing when I'm zombied out, I try to do things I normally don't do. These photos show the process of the print being developed - the piece itself takes on it's own life. It cannot be tamed nor told what to do - it just exists on paper. My piece was talking to me, telling me what it wanted to be named. This photo shows the first color drying on the rack.

This is the green I used. Josue (pictured here) is checking how the ink lands on the paper. 

 

The green was looking super hot!!!

This is the Master Printer, Jose Alpuche, running the color. He has the smoothest touch I've ever seen and he is one of my favorite mentors! He is always challenging me to work harder, faster, better.

This is what my print begins to look like with the 5th color, magenta!

Ahhh, finally the print is done. But then comes the work of signing about 100 sheets of paper and finding the title! That is what I enjoyed most. I had a rough week in LA. Not only was I extremely tired for the lack of sleep (not from partying, from artmaking) but I also gone through some internal transformations myself. I felt like I was a different person than 1 week ago. I also realized a big lesson, and that is that time teaches you lessons. Everything happens in its due time. The things you neglect, the things you ignore that you shouldn't, time makes them more evident and before you know it, they bite you in the ass. My shero, Andrea Echeverry, lead singer for the Columbian rock group, Aterciopelados, and Hector Buitrago, also from the band, have a great song that I will quote here (original song is in Spanish):

It's time to carry out the plan

It's time to have one intention

Everything happens in its due time 

Everything comes a its exact and correct moment

Even the galaxy feels it

It's time to hear the voice of forgiveness

It's time for a revolution

It's time to be alive

Everything happens in its due time 

Everything comes a its exact and correct moment

So I named this piece, "llega todo a su tiempo." Translated it says, "Everything arrives at its due time."

Here is a picture of me signing my prints.

I had planned to leave on Saturday, but after seeing my friend, Artemio Rodriguez, and his work in the Hammer Museum's exhibit, Gouge - I felt so INSPIRED to keep going. I had to stay another day to work with Artemio, I rarely see him, and he is one of the artists I most admire. 

Of course, before another day of hard work, I had to stop at the Electro/80's/Pop club that my friend Julie throws - Ultraluxx!! That was an awesome night of dancing! This is a photo of my homie Contra and myself. 

The next morning, Contra and I headed over to Artemio's to make some linocuts and to learn from the maestro himself.

Here is the pic of the block after it's inked, and then of the final print.

This piece I titled, "Mental Hopscotch," after a song by LA's famous 80's band, Missing Persons. 

Check out how good the singer looks singing her song!

You go girl! Well, that about wraps up my week of art, Obama, and self realization in LA, a city that I plan on eventually living in. A great way to wrap up this story is by ending with the song that inspired the woodcut! MENTAL HOPSCOTCH 1981, by Missing Persons, straight outta LA. Hit Play to hear.