Finally, people are starting to see that not much is making sense these days. It’s freaking out the neighborhood, but it’s alright. We promise.
It’s alright because the truth is, nothing really ever makes sense – it’s just that most people are too distracted to realize it. Normally, everyone’s brain is stuck in a massive blender powered by the work week, news flow and internet. Their thoughts get all mixed up into a sort of uniform goo that can’t do anything but go with the flow. What really doesn't make sense to us is surrendering our one shot at life to a routine filled with mundane tasks. It sounds like something only crazy people would do. We are using art as a weapon and waging war against a life filled with minutiae.
Loser Angeles is an artist near and dear to us, and is an integral part of Shit Art Club. His work addresses what he describes as “the oddness of the ordinary” and illustrates how absolutely crazy “normal” life is. We kicked off our COVID-69 auction with one of his pieces, and asked him a few questions about how this quarantine is affecting his artwork, daily life and creative process.
How are you staying relevant during this difficult time?
I am probably not.
I love it. I mean, who really wants to be relevant to a global disaster anyway? How do you foresee the future of the art market post COVID-19?
I think their will be a hike in snickers bars by the end of June with a bidding war on the upper to lower class.
You may not be wrong… Tell us about your studio life and how COVID-19 has made an impact. Any significant changes?
I haven’t been working downtown in my studio because Skid Row is a bit gnarly right now, so I’ve been torturing my girlfriend Lucy in her studio in Santa Monica.
Has this pandemic had any direct influence on your work?
Ya for shoire [sic]. I’ve had a lot of time to study the greats. I’ve been reading a biography about Jacob Lawrence and the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920’s. The work he did during the Jazz Age is insanely relevant during this time. I am also working on a book titled Quilted Northern.
So Quilted Northern. Love the title. I understand that this is a project you’ve been working on long before the international toilet paper shortage. Do you think this book project will resonate differently after all of this?
(Laughing) Ya, its odd. I have been working on this on and off for over a year with the title "Quilted Northern." Now that everyones having trouble wiping their own arse I might get a bit more of a reaction. The hope of this project is remind people that life is temporary and disposable.
Is the town you live in on lockdown? Has the virus affected daily life amongst the locals?
Yup, I live in Venice, CA and it’s pretty greasy down here by the boardwalk. We can’t surf anymore, the skatepark is closed, and we can’t fish off the pier. So everyone Is just staring at their iPhones and plotting indoor yoga routines with realtime live footage.
Have you ever been on lockdown or in quarantine before?
No, but my friend Big Red was on house arrest for a bit and he still managed to get laid and for that we are proud of him.
Damn. Big Red sounds like a good guy to know. Where’s the first place you’re going when this is all over?
In the ocean. Then Hinano Café. Then back to skid row.
Other than painting or drawing, what is keeping you sane during this madness?
I’ve been reading and drinking a bunch and trying to catch stingrays at night.
Do you think anything beneficial can come from this pandemic?
I think a lot of positive will come from this strange time. I believe Mother Earth is the happiest she’s been in a while. The dolphins and palm trees are partying. I think people will have a new appreciation for breathing and walking around on this planet.
So you titled this work The Joke is on The Sun after a poem by Charles Bukowski. Why did you choose to do this?
Ya, I’ve been reading a lot of Bukowski the last few weeks. I’ve been listening to his poetry readings too while painting. They’re pretty mental .
Is there a connection between this particular poem and the painting you created in the COVID-69 Auction? If not, is there a relationship between your creative process and Bukowski’s work as a writer and artist?
“The joke is on the sun” was what I was listening to when I began this piece. I find my work employing a lot of words from books or songs I’ve heard, even conversations in the park. The title is a thank you to Bukowski. As far as creative process, Bukowski did most of his writing at with a drink, so I guess we have that in common. I admire the way Bukowski took so many hard times on the head in order to continue doing what he believed in. Smooth seas make a shit sailor.
Bukowski has an illustrious reputation and was completely committed to being an artist. Even this poem discusses how you need to commit completely to what you believe in. During this international crisis, have you noticed a change in your commitment to working as an artist? How have these changes in your social life and professional life affected or influenced your artwork?
Yea, I mean the dude wrote on and on about Lady Death, and he was not scared or running from her. I try to follow his lead on that one. There has also been a loaf in my shorts since last October. I find myself losing hesitation in my work lately. With Lady Death creeping on our heels, we get a clearer view of the present.
Place a bid on a Loser Angeles original in our COVID-69 Benefit Auction
As society sits idling at this crossroad watching the gas gauge steadily drop, most people are afraid that they won’t have enough fuel left in their tank to move forward once we get the green light. It seems like everything has come to a grinding halt. People are so focused on what the television and internet is telling them, they have been convinced that the Earth has stopped spinning. They are thinking too much to the point where they don’t feel anything. Although socially and economically we are at a standstill, we are still alive. We need to connect to the natural world and to our natural tendencies. For us, the desire to make is natural.
The role of the artist is to try and find that point where the heart and head meet, and make something out of that balanced thought and feeling. When this happens, the result is beautiful and diverse.
Everyone thinks and feels differently, so if the artist can be honest with themselves and get in touch with who they are, their individualities and commonalities will reveal themselves through their work. At the end of the day, what we all have in common is that we are a bunch of beautiful weirdos - but are conditioned to think that being weird is bad. Loser Angeles is someone that recognizes these things and has accepted and celebrates his weirdness. He is someone we should use as an example to keep making life and keep living art. He’s not afraid to leave the keys in the ignition, put on some shoes, and move on forward.